Pacific Rim 2 films in Sydney with Made in NSW fund

Fantasy action sequel Pacific Rim: Maelstrom will spend around AU$55m filming in New South Wales in Australia – including Fox Studios in Sydney – with support from the Made in NSW Fund.

The film tells the story of human pilots who control immense robots to defend Earth from an invading army of giant monsters. Star Wars actor John Boyega heads the cast.

“NSW won over the producers and director because of the iconic beauty of Sydney, the incredible range of locations on offer, the depth of highly experienced local cast and crew, Fox Studios’ stage capability and support facilities, and NSW’s film-friendly weather,” said screen agency Ausfilm in a statement.

“Final locations for the film will capture globally recognisable Sydney sites including beaches, Sydney Harbour and the CBD, as well as locations in western Sydney. Filming will also take place at Fox Studios.”

New South Wales launched its AU$20m Made in NSW Fund in June, which is designed to bring more international feature films and high-end TV shows to Sydney and other parts of the south-east Australian state. Jackie Chan’s action film Bleeding Steel used the fund’s support within just a few weeks on the launch.

Pacific Rim: Maelstrom will be based in Sydney through to February and will also film scenes further north in Queensland, and in China.

New South Wales has recently hosted Mel Gibson’s Second World War feature Hacksaw Ridge, as well as James Vanderbilt’s political movie Truth and Ridley Scott's Alien: Covenant. Sydney is also a hub for post-production and visual effects, and is currently home to The Lego Batman Movie from Animal Logic and Warner Bros.